Why does the Chinese word for "Wife" sound like
Lao-por?!

老婆

The Real Meaning

In Mandarin Chinese, the character 老婆 (pronounced as lǎo pó) actually translates to Wife.

The Funny Part

Literally 'old woman'. Calling your wife 'old woman' is endearing in Chinese. Try that in English, see what happens.

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Nice Teacher says...

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老婆 means wife! Literally 'old woman'. lǎo pó — it's endearing, not an insult!